Jeffrey Aubé, Ph.D., is the recipient of the 2017 Edward Leete Award from the American Chemical Society’s division of organic chemistry. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to teaching and research in organic chemistry.
Aubé is a Fred Eshelman Distinguished Professor in the School’s Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry. He researches the chemistry of heterocyclic compounds and their applications to problems in medicinal organic chemistry. The Leete Award noted his current work in opioid pharmacology, steroid biosynthesis inhibitors and the discovery of anti-tuberculosis agents. Aubé is the author of more than 205 scholarly articles.
Aubé’s other accomplishments include co-authoring the graduate textbook, Principles of Asymmetric Synthesis and co-directing a trans-Atlantic dual undergraduate degree program between the University of Kansas, the University of Arkansas, University of Regensburg and Dublin City University.
The Leete Award is one of two given by the organic chemistry division of the American Chemical Society and comes with a $1,500 cash prize. It is named for Edward Leete who studied alkaloid biogenesis as a professor at the University of Minnesota and was known for being a charismatic lecturer.
Aubé won several university-wide teaching awards while at the University of Kansas, including the Honors for Outstanding Progressive Educator award, which is given annually by the senior class to a single faculty member at the university.
Aubé has been at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy since 2015. He holds a joint appointment as a professor in the UNC Department of Chemistry.